Have we finally reached the point where cars might actually be able to drive themselves, with little or no input from their passengers? It has long been the stuff of science fiction and movies (as in the Tom Cruise film The Minority Report), and has been whispered about in recent years by many scientists and engineers. But now General Motors has come right out and said that they want to make this happen in a decade.
Now, I don't know about you, but most of the time, I am in a car because I want to get to somewhere else, not because I want to be in my car. And if I have to spend my time in the car, I would sure love to be able to take a nap, or read a book, or work on a laptop. But of course, that's not possible for drivers today, and most of us can't afford to hire a driver to shuttle us around. So the idea has a good deal of appeal to me.
There are of course many hurdles, not the least of which are technical in nature. Driving a vehicle really is a very complicated task. A person needs to continuously calculate their speed relative to a myriad of objects around them. They have to respond quickly to unexpected situations in which there are many variables to consider. So getting a computer to see and do all this is no small task. Then there are the legal questions of what happens if a car gets into a wreck when it is driving, etc.
But I for one am excited for the day I can spend my driving time doing something more important or enjoyable. I think the first systems will take care of the driving only on the freeways. But hey, for me that's a great start. When a 1-hour freeway drive can become a 1 hour nap, I'll be a happy camper.
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However, that may be about to change. A California company, Nanosolar, says it has found a way to produce solar cells so cheaply that they can compete with coal. Their technology uses thin-film solar technology, which does away with expensive and bulky silicon, and centers around being able to print these cells (made of a concoction of metals and nano-particles on a foil backing) much like a printing press prints newspapers. They have already sold out all their manufacturing capacity for the next year, and in doing so will become the biggest solar manufacturer in the US.
Some of the richest people on the planet have invested in the firm. And if the technology turns out to be even half as good as they say it is, those people will become much, much wealthier. But it is exciting for all of us peons as well. Soon this technology will be available to anyone, to use on their home. Or even as part of the building materials themselves, such as roofing or siding for homes. Such a huge leap forward could do much to move us towards energy independence and cleaner air in our cities. I, for one, hope Nanosolar is a wild success, and that we can all soon enjoy the benefits of cheap renewable energy.
